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June 2013
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A Tour of the Pottery Towns of Southern Japan: Part III: Hagi

June 4, 2013Hagi Ceramics Travels

The small tranquil town of Hagi is situated at the western end of Honshu Island far from the bright lights and maddening crowds of Japan’s big cities. I was excited to set foot here in the company of the pottery group tour organized by Bill Geisinger and Ben Horiuchi because I had recently been drawn to the quiet beauty of Hagi-ware and was eager to find out more about the origins and nature of this celebrated tea ware.

Hagi
Old samurai residence in Hagi castle town in Yamaguchi prefecture. Hagi is home to revolutionaries like Takasugi Shinsaku, who contributed to overthrowing the shogunate and launching the Meiji Restoration.

Even though Hagi is off the beaten track and appears to be a sleepy backwater, do not be misled by outward appearances. This isolated town has had an outsized influence on the cultural, industrial, and political history of Japan through its famed Hagiyaki pottery and as the home of some of the leading revolutionaries and industrialists responsible for the Meiji Restoration from the second half of the 19th Century.

Hagi owes its colorful history to the confluence of historical circumstances and geography. When local lord Mori Terumoto found himself on the losing side in the famous battle of Sekigahara in 1600, he decided to channel some of his focus and wealth to the pursuit of perfecting the making of Korean style tea bowls that were all the rage among feudal lords during this period in between their political intrigues and internal wars for domination.

Terumoto brought two Korean potters to Hagi, which is less than 150 miles from the Korean Peninsula across the Sea of Japan. The two potters, brothers Lee Jak-Gwang (李勺光 이작광) and Lee Gyeong (李敬 이경), were the creative masters behind the genesis of Hagiyaki.

A typical Hagi-ware is either white or a warm loquat or ‘Biwa’ orange in color with no decoration. Its austere form might “seem bland and unfinished at first sight”, says Hatano Hideo, a Hagi potter from the Hatano Shigetsu-gama Kiln. But he further explains “this is because Hagi-ware is not complete until it is used”. What Hatano is pointing out is that not only is Hagi-ware created for the explicit purpose of being used, but that it also dramatically changes color through use.

Hagi Teabowl Hatano
Loquat or “biwa” teabowls at Hatano Shigetsu-gama kiln in Hagi.

Many Hagiyaki are still made by traditional wood firing in a Korean style multi-chambered climbing kiln. The local clay is rough, sandy, and resistant to heat, and does not harden unless fired to an extremely high temperature. The ingenious Hagi potters turned this serious disadvantage into a major advantage and distinctive characteristic of Hagiyaki.

Multi-chambered climbing kiln at Okada Seiunzangama
Multi-chambered climbing kiln at Seiunzan Okada-gama in Hagi.

In their experimentation many centuries ago, the pioneering Hagi potters found that when the pots were fired just enough to melt the glaze but not harden the clay completely, the expansion difference with the clay and glaze caused minute cracks or crackles on the glaze. As a result, when a Hagi tea bowl is used, the tea is absorbed through these cracks into the soft clay and slowly stains the pot. This gradual and exquisite change in color is commonly referred to as “the seven transformations of Hagi” or “Hagi no nanabake”.

Hagi Aging
On the left is a brand new Hagiyaki tea cup from Hadano Shigetsu-gama kiln. To the right is the same cup after several weeks of use. The staining through the cracks is already visible.

The war making but tea loving feudal lords were enamored with this rustic, aged look that these pots developed because they symbolized the beauty of degradation and passage of time cherished in wabi tea. So the powerful and mighty competed to get their hands on Hagiyaki.

The Hagi potters make their own clay by combining three local clays called Daido, Mitake and Mishima. The color transformation through staining is calculated by adding or removing just the right amount of sand, which requires an acute sense of judgment and a wealth of experience. “The clay means everything to our pottery”, said Okada Yu, an eighth generation potter of the Seiunzan Okada Kiln. Okada-san is one of Japan’s most sought after Hagi tea-ware makers.

Hagi-ware is mostly plain in appearance, but many potters show their originality in the foot of their tea bowls by boldly making cuts into them or leaving finger marks. While there are several theories as to the origins of the notched foot, tea aficionados pay considerable attention and relish this feature of Hagiyaki. The potters show much restraint in the shape and glazed surface of the bowl but the foot is where they can show their originality. It is fascinating that a seemingly marring act of cutting the foot is employed by the potter to show their creativity and is in turn appreciated by their fans.

Okada Yu Chawan Foot
Notched foot of a tea bowl by Okada Yu. The foot reveals the originality and the spirit of the maker.

Contemporary Hagi-ware is not limited to the enjoyment of tea drinkers. The work of Kaneta Masanao of Tenchozan-gama, for example, is very sculptural and brings out the Hagi clay’s chunky and warm texture. Instead of traditional wheel throwing, Kaneta-san shapes his work by slapping the clay with a paddle or a stick and scooping out the inside. The depth of clay is intensified through this unique process and his work is extremely popular internationally.

Water Jar by Kaneta Masanao of Tenchozangama in Hagi
Water Jar by Kaneta Masanao of Tenchozan-gama in Hagi.
Large sculptural vase by Kaneta Masanao waiting to be glazed and fired. The chunky texture and depth of hagi clay is visible.
Large sculptural vase by Kaneta Masanao waiting to be glazed and fired. The chunky texture and depth of hagi clay is visible.

How Hagiyaki came about and evolved shows the developmental arc in the history of Japanese tea ceremony and its fascination to the waring feudal lords.  It began as a cosmopolitan art form enjoyed by the ruling elites and has today become a much-loved icon of a unique wabi aesthetic, namely simplicity, rustic elegance, and witnessing beauty in the gentle deterioration and passage of time through use.

 

 

 

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Bill Geisinger Ben Horiuchi hagi hagiyaki hatano hideo kaneta masanao nanabake notched foot okada yu seiunzanokadakiln shigetsugama tenchozan 七化け 兼田昌尚 天寵山窯 岡田裕 晴雲山岡田窯 波多野指月窯 波多野英生 萩 萩焼

4 responses on “A Tour of the Pottery Towns of Southern Japan: Part III: Hagi”

  1. Gordon Brodfuehrer June 4, 2013 at 3:56 pm

    Terrific! Beautifully imaged and great text. Keep up the great work. Gordon
    Look at YAMATO TSUTOMU

    Reply ↓
    1. Ai Kanazawa Post authorJune 4, 2013 at 4:08 pm

      Hello Gordon! Thank you for reading my blog post and visiting our website. After studying further about Hagiyaki, now I want to visit there again. Will check out Yamato Tsutomu.

      Reply ↓
  2. Eric Leve March 14, 2015 at 9:15 pm

    I’m at Kansai now having left Hagi this morning. I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with Kaneta-San and his wife. His current pieces continue his sinewy sculptural vision. A truly atmospheric town to visit as Spring emerges!

    Reply ↓
    1. Ai Kanazawa Post authorApril 9, 2015 at 8:57 am

      Hello Eric!
      I’m so envious that you visited Hagi. Kaneta-san is an amazing potter and I look forward to visiting him again.

      Reply ↓

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